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Wasted votes may be crucial

During the 2011 poll, 338 City of South Perth voters mistakenly returned their postal voting packages with the mandatory voter’s declaration slip torn off, missing, or unsigned, rendering them worthless.

‘With voter turnout traditionally quite low in non-compulsory local government elections, the last thing we want is large numbers of people wasting their votes,’ acting WA Electoral Commissioner Chris Avent said.

‘That’s enough to change the results in many councils, particularly where there are tight contests.

‘It was frustrating that, after electors made the effort to complete their ballot papers and to post them back in the pre-paid envelope to the Commission’s count centre, so many had to be rejected,’

With the decrease of wards in the City of South Perth, fourteen nominees will vie for the six seats left on the council.

To ensure your vote is counted, return your postal vote by October 19.

As of October 10, the number of voting packages that had been returned to the WAEC for processing, for each ward were:

– Como: 1386 – 20.75 per cent

– Mill Point: 1906 – 26.41 per cent

– Moresby: 1372 – 20.81 per cent.

Manning ward was decided at the close of nominations, with councillors Sharron Hawkins-Zeeb and Colin Cala elected unopposed.